22 months old

Emily is now 22 months old. Sometimes she surprises you and plops right down in the chair for an adorable picture on the first try. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts with much cajoling and even a little bribery in a circus that would make any observer laugh. Once you start sweating you realize that you'll probably just have to settle for the slightly imperfect (in your mind) picture that at least gets a decent shot with her eyes open, dress down and hair clip still in (barely). Sigh...so goes the life of a toddler. ;o)

Emily continues to be a little chatterbox, and she definitely has DeJong blood flowing through her veins. (For those of you who don't know, my paternal grandma's family is known for being loud talkers.) My ears/head actually hurt the other night after a marathon potty/bath session. I can't blame her, though, because I've got DeJong blood, too! A lady at the library commented on Emily's verbal skills this past week (I know--the place you're supposed to be quiet, but kids her age get a pass there--especially in the children's play area). Emily also set a record this week for the longest complete sentence to date: "There's mommy in the kitchen!" My favorite words of hers are "cho-co-let" (chocolate), "sip-uhl-ly" (slippery) and "hip-pah-mus" (hippopotamus).

Besides the hangers periodically arranged on our dresser drawer knobs, Emily has a new fascination with laundry (or "laun-juh-ly" as she says it). If she finds any stray clothing laying around she stuffs it in our laundry basket. I usually have to dig some of my clean clothes back out after setting them out before taking a shower. When I get her clothes out in the morning she wants to put them in the laundry basket instead of getting dressed. She will scrounge through closets, too. ;o)

Emily has also been on a booster-chair strike. I have compromised with her this week and allowed her to sit (i.e. kneel) on a "big chair" as long as she wears her bib for the messy stuff. It was an either/or proposition, and I'm satisfied with the results. She does pretty well, although she is definitely more squirmy. She only fell off a chair once before she learned she can't stand on the bottom braces off to the side. :o)

We have been enjoying the gorgeous summer weather--exceptionally pleasant for August. I like taking walks, but it's always a toss-up how it will go. I have learned the hard way not to specifically plan anything within a timetable. Emily is currently boycotting her big stroller but is fascinated by her cheap umbrella stroller. Unfortunately, it's not the most ergonomically designed thing and takes a bit of a toll on the pusher. It doesn't exactly allow for any luggage/carrying space either (e.g. walking to Kwik Star for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread). Half the time she is fine riding, but sometimes she insists on walking by herself and/or pushing the stroller. You never know what the pace might be. We set a new record this month where it took 30 min. to walk the 6 blocks to the library and 40 min. to walk home! Luckily, she usually stays put in her wagon, although that's not the easiest thing to pull around the hilly streets of Denver, either. I should just be thankful that we can actually get out and enjoy some fresh air. I would have done anything to be able to do that on a regular basis last February!

Our August videos are a little sparse, but the pictures are up on Winkflash. Happy end of summer!